Bahareh Amidi

Bahareh Amidi, based in Abu Dhabl, United Arab Emirates, has brought poetry as healer to the Ladies Safe Houses for the last 4 years. Initially at the Filipino safe house as a story teller and then poetry therapist in training.* She has expanded that work by visiting the Indonesian safe house.

Bahareh says:

"We usually meet in groups of about 15. We start by me speaking a poem from the ladies' own lands or one of mine or another poem someone might know and care to share. We then take some time to reflect on this poem and share responses to it. People may speak back lines that speak to them. After awhile, I offer a place to start, and we write together.

Each week, I make sure each of the ladies has their own notebook, so it is their own private property. It is incredible because most people say they do not write poetry and I say I know, so please just write a few words on images and feelings."

*Since this article was written, Bahareh has graduated as a CPT from the Institute for Poetic Medicine

Poetry in Action: "Speak Abu Dhabl"

https://youtu.be/9IrSG3ByrtI Speak Abu Dhabi Live Poetry of Rumi Gibran Omar Khayyam in Abu Dhabi UAE Share

By the end each person will have had something to share and we go around the circle, at first shy to share but then share and many tears and smiles are shared. Many common themes appear. Healing happens as we find out we all in this together.

—poetry as healer to men's work camps